Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Ethyl decanoate
Ethyl decanoate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2432 (CAS 110-38-3). Its odor is waxy, fruity, grape, cognac, sweet.
- FEMA
- 2432
- CAS
- 110-38-3
- JECFA
- 35
- EU FL
- 09.059
- Formula
- C12H24O2
- EC
- 203-761-9
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 110-38-3.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: Decanoic acid, ethyl ester, Capric acid ethyl ester, Ethyl caprate, Ethyl decylate, Ethyl caprinate, Ethyl n-decanoate, NSC 8909, ethyl caprate, ethyl decylate, decanoic acid, ethyl ester, capric acid ethyl ester, decanoic acid ethyl ester.
Can Ethyl decanoate be labeled natural?
Ethyl decanoate occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: ethyl decanoate won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized ethyl decanoate is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl decanoate identical-to-natural.
- United States
- Natural or artificial, by process
- European Union and UK
- Natural only from natural material
- Mercosur and Mexico
- Natural or identical-to-natural
How each market defines the classes: natural vs artificial flavor under 21 CFR 101.22.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Ethyl decanoate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2432. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.059, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 35, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Ethyl decanoate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 110-38-3, where EPA names it Decanoic acid, ethyl ester.
Active in US commerce
EPA designates this substance active, so no Notice of Activity Form B is required before manufacturing. What active and inactive mean.
EPA publishes no regulatory flags on this listing. What the flags mean.
From the EPA non-confidential TSCA Inventory, July 2026 release. EPA also maintains a confidential portion it does not publish. Search the Inventory by CAS number.
Odor and taste
Odor: Waxy, fruity, grape, cognac, sweet.
Taste: Waxy, grape, oily, wine-like.
Where it is used
Ethyl decanoate is used in grape, cognac, wine and brandy, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Ethyl decanoate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethyl undecanoate | 3492 | 98% | In nature |
| Decyl propionate | 2369 | 96% | In nature |
| Undecanoic acid | 3245 | 88% | In nature |
More esters in this index
Heptyl octanoate · Phenethyl cinnamate · Rhodinyl butyrate · Butyl isovalerate · 2-Pentyl 2-methylpentanoate · 3-Octyl butyrate
Ethyl decanoate FAQ
Is ethyl decanoate on the FEMA GRAS list?
It is. FEMA number 2432 covers ethyl decanoate. It is also codified at 21 CFR 172.515.
What is the FEMA number for ethyl decanoate?
The FEMA number for ethyl decanoate is 2432 and its CAS registry number is 110-38-3. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.
Is ethyl decanoate natural or artificial?
Since ethyl decanoate is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when ethyl decanoate is synthesized. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic ethyl decanoate identical-to-natural.
Is ethyl decanoate approved in the EU?
Ethyl decanoate is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.059 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.
Has JECFA evaluated ethyl decanoate?
Yes. JECFA number 35, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. Conclusion: No safety concern at current levels of intake when used as a flavouring agent.
What is ethyl decanoate used for?
Ethyl decanoate is described as waxy, fruity, grape, cognac, sweet. On the palate it is waxy, grape, oily, wine-like. It shows up in grape, cognac, wine and brandy.
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Sources and attribution. The identity and regulatory facts on this page are taken from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, a US government record, which lists this substance as ETHYL DECANOATE under CAS 110-38-3 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavoring agent or adjuvant.
A FEMA GRAS conclusion is reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States, and the FEMA number names that conclusion. FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record of what the Panel decided and is worth reading alongside this page.
Ambrose Compliance is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FEMA. FEMA and FEMA GRAS are used here as identifiers for a published regulatory determination, not as marks of any relationship between FEMA and Ambrose.
About this page. Facts come from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, the Code of Federal Regulations, the EPA TSCA Inventory, the EU Union List, JECFA and the Ambrose database, with FEMA's published determination cited where it applies; parts of the text are written by Ambrose AI, which can make mistakes. Check the cited source before relying on anything here. This is not regulatory or legal advice.